UFC 148's Patrick Cote back in UFC to go after another shot at middleweight belt

http://mmajunkie.comLAS VEGAS – Patrick Cote was released from the UFC after three consecutive losses from 2008 to 2010.

But he never left the octagon, at least mentally.

“It wasn’t like they fired me because they didn’t like me or something,” Cote (17-7 MMA, 4-7 UFC) said in advance of his bout with Cung Le (7-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) at UFC 148. “They fired me because they had a business to run and I lost three in a row. That’s all.

“But I had to prove it – my place in the UFC – and that’s what I did in my last four fights.”

After racking up a five-fight win streak, the heavy-handed Cote fought champ Anderson Silva for the title at UFC 90 and lost when he blew his knee out in the third round. A submission loss to Alan Belcher at UFC 113 and decision loss to Tom Lawlor at UFC 121 preceded his pink slip.

Cote actually still had a job with the promotion after he was released from his fight contract. He served as a commentator for the French-language broadcast team. But as good as it was to be near the action, he couldn’t be in it.

The UFC told Cote what it tells just about everyone when the axe falls: keep your head up, get some wins (preferably, finishes) and we’ll have you back. So that’s what he did.

And four wins later, persistence paid off. Four weeks prior to Saturday’s event, which takes place Saturday at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Le’s original opponent, Rich Franklin, was rebooked to fight Wanderlei Silva at UFC 147, and Cote got the call.

Offers from other promotions came in, of course, but Cote stayed away from those who would tie down his services too long as he rebuilt his record. A return to the UFC never left his mind, especially not around the time of his most recent fight, which took place in March in Manaus, Brazil under the banner of Amazon Forest Combat 2.

Cote calls it a “good experience” the way people do when they’ve just been through an ordeal they hope never to repeat. Still, he managed to knock out his opponent in the first round. Standing in front of a scrum of reporters on fight week, he was as gracious as can be.

“I knew if I was going to come back in the UFC, it would probably be last-minute or an injury (replacement),” Cote told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). “I was ready to fight when they called me four weeks ago.

“I don’t want to go back [to the regional circuit]. I want to stay in the UFC. You’re like a rock star when you’re here, and you have to enjoy it.”

Cote vs. Le serves on the pay-per-view main card of UFC 148 following prelims on FX.

With Silva fighting a rematch with Chael Sonnen just a few spots above him in the main event, the topic of another title shot was close at hand.

“I’m not back for one fight,” Cote said. “I’m back because I want to make another run at the title. I’ve been there before, and I was doing half of what I’m doing now with training. I’m doing right now what I should have been doing three and four years ago.”

And Cote gave no illusions about his plan for flashy striker Le, who suffered a second-round TKO loss to Silva in his octagon debut at UFC 139.

“If I give him space and time to set up all these things, I’m going to be in trouble,” Cote said. “I train to be in good shape because I want to push the pace right away. If I have to do it for three rounds, I’ll do it. That’s the key of this fight.

“I want to let him know that I’m going to be in his face, and I’m going there to fight. I’m not going there for a strategic fight. I’m going to knock him out, and that’s it.”

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